Self-adjusting stock centralizer

ABSTRACT

Elongated work pieces being fed into a machining station are kept in center alignment by spaced slidably mounted wedge-shaped plates. The plates are supported by a fixed base to which is secured spaced, fixed, guide members. A cover overlies the plates and a depending pin secured to the cover engages the plates to keep them in spaced alignment and the work pieces therebetween in center alignment.

United States Patent Mittendorf- [45] D 17, 1974 [54] SELF-ADJUSTINGSTOCK CENTRALIZER 2,657,933 11/1953 Stuebner 226/166 Inventor: Jean H. Mttendorf, 82 Pawnee 3,692,223 9/1972 Lalgle 226/199 O Ave akland N J07436 Przmary ExammerR1chard A. Schacher [22] Filed: Feb. 11, 1974 [21]Appl. No.: 441,370 [57] ABSTRACT Elongated work pieces being fed into amachining sta- 52 us. Cl 226/198, 226/165, 226/167 tion are p in centeralignment y Spaced Slidably 51 int. Cl B65h 23/28 mounted wedge-Shapedplates- The plates are 9- [58] Field of Search 242/76; 226/198,]99, 165,ported y a fixed base to which is secured Spaced, 22 1 1 7 fixed, guidemembers. A cover overlies the plates and I a depending pin secured tothe cover engages the [56] Ref Ci d plates to keep them in spacedalignment and the work UNITED STATES PATENTS pieces therebet'ween incenter alignment. 1,735,288 11/1929 Leonard 226/166 X 7 Claims, 4Drawing Figures 1 SELF-ADJUSTING STOCK CENTRALIZER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION It is often necessary in the metal and plastics workingindustry to feed long lengths of material and particularly flat stockinto machines or work statins. In such cases, the work material must beaccurately fed into the station where it is shaped, stamped, ground, ormachined. The big problem in such operations is retaining the work piecein axial or center alignment with the cutting or grinding tool so thatthe finished work is uniform. Prior attempts at linear alignment haveincluded the use of rollers, V-blocks, and-other types of guide plates.All these attempts are lacking in several respects. They do notcompensate for size variations, they are not precise, and they cannot beadapted easily to handle work of differing sizes.

' The invention hereinafter described is precise because it grips thework piece between two self-adjusting aligning plates at all times. Workpieces of varying sizes are handled easily, either by using the samealigning plates at different spacings or by substituting other aligningplates in the same chuck assembly.

SUMMARY The invention includes a base for supporting all the componentsof the guide, a cover secured to the base, and a pair of fixed guidesmounted between the cover and the base formed with sloping side bearingsurfaces and defining a wedge shaped space.

A pair of tapered aligning plates are positioned in the I space betweenthe cover and the base, each aligning plate formed with outer slopingedges to engage the sloping bearing surfaces of the guides. An alignmentpin is secured to the cover and extends downwardly to engage the inneredges of the aligining plates, and assist in their transverse alignment.The aligning plates are each formed with an elongated step at theirinner edges and spaced rollers to direct a work piece as it is movedthrough the guide assembly. Resilient means are disposed between thealigning plates and the base for urging the aligning plates along thesloping guides to yieldably hold a work piece in the channels.

A feature of the invention is the use of tapered, slidable, aligningplates to center the work piece as it is pushed or drawn through thealigning plates.

Another feature of the invention is the ability of the guide assembly toautomatically compensate for variations in size of the work piece.

Another feature of the invention is the ease with which the assembly canbe changed to accommodate for work pieces having different sized andshapes.

A further feature is the use of spaced rollers carried by the aligningplates to guide the work piece.

Other features and additional details of the invention will be disclosedin the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guideassembly according to the present invention shown with a work piece butomitting the resilient means for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the guide assembly with the cover removed toshow the details of the aligning plates.

- sional imperfections in the material being fed through FIG. 3 is anend view of the guide assembly with the cover indicated in dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the guide assembly, also with the cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the figures,the guide assembly includes a flat base 10, a cover 11, and spaced wedgeshaped guides 12 and 13. The guides 12, 13 are secured to the base 10.As is shown in FIG. 2, the guides l2, 13 are formed with sloping edges12a and 13a which form an angle of about 10 degrees with their outeredges thereby creating a wedge shaped space between the guides. Twotapered aligning plates 15 and 16 are mounted between the guides 12, 13in the wedge shaped space and are formed with outer sloping edges 15a,16a which match the sloping edges 12a and 13a of the guides. The inneredges of the aligning plates are generally parallel to each other andspaced a short distance from the center line of the assembly. Eachaligning plate is formed with a cut-out portion 17 and 18 which includesa slope 17a, parallel to edges 12a and 13a and a partly cylindricalsurface 17b for engaging a aligning plates and extend into the steppedportions 21,22 to engage the edges of the work piece 14 and guide itthrough the device. These rollers permit occathe device to advancewithout jeopardizing its centralizing performance. In addition, therollers 19 discourage the formation of scrapings and chips from the workpiece.

Each aligning plate is coupled to a resilient means of some type to urgethe aligning plates l5, 16 toward the narrow end of the wedge shapedspace to bear against the work piece. In FIG. 2,3, and 4, a pair ofhelical springs 23 and 24 are shown for this purpose. The springs aremounted on brackets 25 and 26 and extend into cavities in the plates15,16 where their ends are secured by pins 27 and 28.

When there is no work piece in the guide assembly, the position of thealigning plates 15, 16 is as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 with the curvedends of cut-out portions 17 and 18 in limiting engagement with pin 20.When a work piece 14 is pushed into the space formed by steps 21 and 22,the aligning plates 15, 16 are moved along the guides 12, 13 (FIG. 2),the space between them is enlarged and the rollers 19-engage the edgesof the work piece and hold it in central alignment. Springs 23,24 pullthe aligning plates toward a work piece engaging position at all times,but the assembly cannot bind the work piece since it is being moved inthe direction of the arrow 30 (see FIG. 1) and any tendency to bind willbe eliminated by a slight movement of the chuck plates along the guides.

As the aligning plates 15, 16 are moved to the left (in FIG. 2) toaccommodate a work piece that is larger, the surfaces l7, l8 ride uponthe surface of the alignment pin and keep the plates in transversealignment. The result is a continuous centering action on an elongatedwork piece while moving through the guide assembly.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A self-adjusting guide assembly for center alignment of elongatedwork pieces comprising:

a. a base for supporting all the components of the guide;

b. a cover secured to the base;

c. a pair of spaced, fixed guides mounted between the cover and base andformed with inner sloping edges for defining a wedge shaped spacetherebetween;

d. a pair of slidable aligning plates positioned in the space betweenthe guides; said plates formed with outer sloping edges to engage theinner sloping edges of the guides;

e. an alignment pin secured to the cover and depending therefrom toengage the inner edges of the aligning plates, and

f. resilient means disposed between the aligning plates and the base forurging the aligning plates along the guide rods to yieldably hold a workpiece in the aligning plates.

2. A guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient means are a pairof helical springs.

3. A guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower surface of the coverand the upper surface of the base are flat and parallel to each other.

4. A guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said guides is formedwith an outer parallel edge and has a sloping inner edge making an angleof substantially 10 degrees with the outer edge.

5. A guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the edge of each aligning plateis formed with an elongated step in its inner margin to receive the workpiece.

6. A guide as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the aligning plates isformed with a cut-out portion to receive the alignment pin, said cut-outportions comprising a portion of a cylindrical surface to engage thealignment pin when no work piece is in the chuck plates, and a slopingsurface having the same slope as the inner surface of the guide rods.

7. A guide according to claim 1 wherein rollers are freely journaled inthe periphery of each aligning plate with a portion of each rollerextending into the space between the aligning plates.

1. A self-adjusting guide assembly for center alignment of elongatedwork pieces comprising: a. a base for supporting all the components ofthe guide; b. a cover secured to the base; c. a pair of spaced, fixedguides mounted between the cover and base and formed with inner slopingedges for defining a wedge shaped space therebetween; d. a pair ofslidable aligning plates positioned in the space between the gUides;said plates formed with outer sloping edges to engage the inner slopingedges of the guides; e. an alignment pin secured to the cover anddepending therefrom to engage the inner edges of the aligning plates,and f. resilient means disposed between the aligning plates and the basefor urging the aligning plates along the guide rods to yieldably hold awork piece in the aligning plates.
 2. A guide as claimed in claim 1wherein said resilient means are a pair of helical springs.
 3. A guideas claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower surface of the cover and theupper surface of the base are flat and parallel to each other.
 4. Aguide as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said guides is formed withan outer parallel edge and has a sloping inner edge making an angle ofsubstantially 10 degrees with the outer edge.
 5. A guide as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the edge of each aligning plate is formed with anelongated step in its inner margin to receive the work piece.
 6. A guideas claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the aligning plates is formed witha cut-out portion to receive the alignment pin, said cut-out portionscomprising a portion of a cylindrical surface to engage the alignmentpin when no work piece is in the chuck plates, and a sloping surfacehaving the same slope as the inner surface of the guide rods.
 7. A guideaccording to claim 1 wherein rollers are freely journaled in theperiphery of each aligning plate with a portion of each roller extendinginto the space between the aligning plates.